Agile, one of the newer project management methodologies, has increasingly made its way across new industries outside of the software space.
Agile methodologies were historically used only with software development and IT-related projects. Other industries tended to infer that Agile wasn’t a good fit for their projects, assuming the traditional Waterfall methodology was better aligned with their needs. While Waterfall typically remains the best fit for larger, schedule-based implementations, Agile methodologies are finding their way into the life sciences industry in recent years. This is due largely to the growing prevalence of software-related projects.
Quality departments provide one potential connection between software and life sciences companies. Many pharmaceutical and biotech companies are utilizing new technologies within their quality departments. In the past, approval activities were done using pen and paper, and kept locked into a file cabinet. Today, new software options allow quality departments to seek – and document –approvals using integrated software platforms.
You might be wondering, “how is new software implemented?” Most likely, the implementation process for the new quality software was highly complex with questions asked such as what software program should be selected? Will we purchase off-the-shelf software or purchase something more customized? Will existing documents be transferred, or will the software only be used for future documents? On top of that the software implementation likely required involvement of multiple departments (quality, technical, finance, etc.), and was implemented in stages (perhaps the transition was piloted with one team to work out the kinks before rolling it out to full organization). We’ve just described Agile! The quality software implementation described here likely used Sprints, a common Agile method for sectioning off an implementation into smaller, time-bound deliverables. The best part about sprints is that you can see your progress quickly – it doesn’t take months upon months to review each stage.
The supply chain lifecycle provides another possible intersection between the life sciences industry and Agile software development. A robust and integrative supply chain will have multiple different suppliers, legs of the supply chain, and required processes. You might ask how these divergent items are typically tracked. Are they tracked within a software system like SAP, Excel, Smartsheet, or even an in-house system? If your company has been around for more than 20 years, tracking likely didn’t start with a software system. Somewhere along the way, a project manager oversaw the transition to a software-based supply chain tracking system – perhaps even using Agile sprints to accomplish the transition!
If your company still tends to do things the “old way,” take a moment to reflect on areas where your business could potentially be improved through a software-based system. An Agile approach can help methodically transition your team to new, software-based products available today. Perhaps you do not have a dedicated supply chain, and your quality team already has an excellent system and process in place. Even if your company is tech savvy, new upgrades to existing systems are a perfect fit for the Agile method. A thoughtful project manager can use tailored Agile methods to meet the needs of both the business and individual team goals.